Directors

Board of Directors

Peter Boddy - Non-Executive Chairman

Appointment: Peter joined the Group as Non-Executive Chairman in 2014.

Committee membership: Chairman of the Nomination Committee.

Skills and experience: Peter holds chairmanships in three other companies: Xercise4Less (a low-cost gym chain); Novus Leisure Limited (operator of late night bars and clubs); and The Harley Medical Group. All are backed by private equity. Previously, Peter held the position of CEO or managing director in a number of successful private equity-backed leisure sector companies including Fitness First UK, Megabowl Group Limited and Maxinutrition Limited.

Peter has a degree in economics from De Montfort University and an MBA from Warwick Business School.

Top bowling score: 220

Stephen Burns - Chief Executive Officer

Appointment: Stephen joined the Group as Business Development Director in 2011. He was promoted to Managing Director in 2012 and became Chief Executive Officer in 2014.

Skills and experience: Before joining the Group, Stephen worked within the health and fitness industry, holding various roles within Cannons Health and Fitness Limited from 1999. He became sales and client retention director in 2007 upon the acquisition of Cannons Health and Fitness Limited by Nuffield Health, and became regional director in 2009. In 2011, Stephen was appointed to the operating board of MWB Business Exchange, a public company specialising in serviced offices, meeting and conference rooms, and virtual offices. Stephen was appointed Chairman at the Club Company Limited (operator of UK country clubs) in 2018.

Top bowling score: 179

Laurence Keen - Chief Financial Officer

Appointment: Laurence joined the Group as Finance Director in 2014.

Skills and experience: Laurence has a first-class degree in business, mathematics and statistics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He qualified as a chartered accountant in 2000 and has been an ICAEW Fellow since 2012. Previously, Laurence was UK development director for Paddy Power from 2012. He has held senior retail and finance roles for Debenhams PLC, Pizza Hut (UK) Limited and Tesco PLC.

Top bowling score: 180

Nick Backhouse - Senior Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointment: Nick joined the Group as Senior Independent Non-Executive Director in June 2016.

Committee membership: Chairman of the Audit Committee, member of the Nomination Committee and of the Remuneration Committee.

Skills and experience: Nick has extensive experience at Board level, including non-executive roles at Guardian Media Group plc (2007-2017) where he was also the Senior Independent Director, All3Media Limited (2011-2014) and Marston’s PLC (2012-2018) and has chaired the Audit Committees of each of those businesses.

He is currently a Non-Executive Director of Eaton Gate Gaming and a trustee of Chichester Festival Theatre.

In his executive career, Nick was the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the David Lloyd Leisure Group and was previously Group Finance Director of National Car Parks, Chief Financial Officer of the Laurel Pub Company and CFO of Freeserve PLC. Prior to that, he was a Board Director of Baring Brothers.

Nick is a Fellow of ICAEW and has an MA in economics from Cambridge University.

Top bowling score: 203

Clare Tiney - Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointment: Claire joined the Group as Non- Executive Director in June 2016.

Committee membership: Chair of the Remuneration Committee, member of the Audit Committee and of the Nomination Committee.

Skills and experience: Claire has over 20 years’ board level experience encompassing executive and non-executive roles in blue-chip retailing, property development and the services sector across the UK and eastern Europe. Claire runs her own business as an HR consultant, executive coach and facilitator, having spent 15 years as an executive director in a number of businesses including Homeserve plc, Mothercare plc and WH Smith Group plc. Most recently, Claire was HR director at McArthurGlen Group, the developer and owner of designer outlet malls throughout Europe.

Claire was previously a non-executive director of Family Mosaic and is currently a non-executive director of Volution plc and of Topps Tiles plc. She has an MBA from Stirling University.

Top bowling score: 136

Ivan Schofield - Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointment: Ivan was appointed to the Board in October 2017.

Committee membership: Member of the Remuneration Committee, Nomination Committee and of the Audit Committee.

Skills and experience: Ivan has extensive experience in the leisure sector in the UK and across continental Europe. He held a number of senior roles for Yum Brands Inc. over 15 years, notably as managing director of KFC France and Western Europe and more recently as CEO of itsu. Prior to this, Ivan held roles at Unilever and LEK Consulting. Ivan is also currently Chairman of Buffalo Grill SA and Thunderbird Fried Chicken Limited and runs his own business as a senior executive coach and mentor. Ivan holds a BSc in economics with econometrics from the University of Bath, an MBA from INSEAD and is a graduate of the Meyler Campbell Business Coaching Programme.

Top bowling score: 165

Senior Management

Mathew Hart - Chief Marketing & Technology Officer

Mathew joined the Group as Commercial Director in January 2015. He has 25 years of commercial, marketing, e-commerce and general management experience across the travel, leisure and healthcare sectors.

Melanie Dickinson - Talent Director

Melanie was appointed Talent Director in October 2012. She has 16 years of HR experience across the leisure and hospitality sectors.

Starting her career in retail operations before moving into HR, Melanie has held HR roles at Pizza Express, Holmes Place Health Clubs and Pizza Hut UK; as well as obtaining a post graduate diploma in Personnel and Development.

Most recently, she headed the People function at Zizzi Restaurants, part of the Gondola group.